Skoatterwâld housing development

Tangible architecture

Wienerberger as Manufacturers

Skoatterwâld , a new housing development based on the urban development design created by Ashok Balothra at Kuiper Compagnons, is taking shape to the east of Heerenveen, adjacent to Oranjewoud. This plan incorpotates a series of water features and a wide variety of house types. The Groningen based firm Martini Architekten designed the houses on the Waterrand, the banks of a water feature which will be central to the second phase of the project. The architecture of the houses is certainly striking, with classic lines and dark brickwork with accents in white concrete and slate grey ceramic tiles on the roofs. Architect Ed Lensink opted for ‘a timeless design that makes our architectural history tangible’.


The district of Skoatterwâld is a major expansion of Heerenveen,. The second phase of construction of the new residential district is well underway and includes a sports complex, shopping centre and schools. It is located very close to the village of Oranjewoud, its stunning waterways, and home to the prize-winning museum park and Belvédère museum. This is a new city under development, with a range of facilities, and the promise of green surroundings and a residential environment that has character.


The latter in particular will be an asset for Heerenveen, states architect Ed Lensink at Martini Architekten. ‘Heerenveen is well known for football and skating, but not for its pleasant city centre. You have to know it very well in order to discover its charm. It is also very difficult to find historical references in Heerenveen for the architecture in this new residential area.’ Lensink therefore sought very different sources for his ideas for the 66 houses on the Waterrand. ‘The desire was to give the district a 1930’s image. I was inspired by the architects at the time of Berlage, particularly in terms of the timeless look of their buildings. I wanted to give the houses in Skoatterwâld that quality – to make the architectural history tangible with a design that reflected the 1930s.’


The location of the houses in the plan required a powerful design. ‘In fact, the plan consists of two long walls opposite each other, with a water feature in between. The water feature is approximately 100 metres wide. Houses will also be constructed in the water in a subsequent phase. We wanted to create a peaceful decor with the houses.’ The houses are located almost directly on the street, on both sides of the water feature. They are ‘lifted’ to a height of seventy centimetres above ground level, so that a good view over the parked cars and the water is possible from the ground floor. ‘This is why there are small pavements’, explains Lensink. ‘The houses are wheel chair accessible at the rear.’ Another measure taken to ensure that the decor is an elongated unit is the continuous strip of brickwork at the height of the first floor. Lensink: ‘This strip of brickwork, at a height of more than five metres, and the metal frames between the columns create a row despite the fact that there is a range of free-standing houses, semi-detached and social housing.’


Despite the classic image, the details are completely contemporary. For example, the frames are placed behind the brickwork with deep reveals. At a number of places in the wall, large windows have been framed with prefab concrete elements with a light colour that contrasts sharply with the other wall materials. Horizontal lines in the project are accentuated with prefab elements, also in clear white. The brickwork is constructed from brown box bricks, a dark brick that reflects the water beautifully. ‘Photos usually do not do justice to the bricks’, says Lensink. ‘In reality the bricks glisten even more. Then we found that the dark colour was a wonderful contrast with the bricks in the houses behind them, which have a contemporary pastel shade. Although you have to be careful with dark bricks – it is a growing trend!’ The brickwork bond is not entirely modern - a classic half brick, with a medium grey joint ‘so that you can see the bricks’, and has been laid with a traditional sharp method.


Architectural office: Architektenbureau Martini BV, Groningen Facing bricks: Wienerberger Heteren - Galaxy bruin, extruded Roof tiles: Wienerberger Tegelen - Madura slate matt engobe

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